


Sirens

by SunsetxStarlight



Category: Cloak & Dagger (TV 2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fear, Ficlet, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Human Trafficking, Hurt/Comfort, Kindred Spirits, Panic Attacks, Police Brutality, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sirens, Soulmates, Ty always knows what to say, the divine pairing, they save each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 16:38:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19023796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetxStarlight/pseuds/SunsetxStarlight
Summary: "Tandy doesn’t like sirens.  Neither does Tyrone.  Adjusting to change is never easy, and Ty can still remember the way his heart would begin to pound when he heard a cop car shortly after Billy’s death.  Even now his heart skips a beat when he hears the ringing of sirens in the streets."





	Sirens

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This idea came to me when I was watching CaD and Tandy talked about how much of a trigger ambulances would be for Lia. That's when I realized that sirens are probably a trigger for both Ty and Tandy, and thus this was born. Enjoy!

Tandy doesn’t like sirens.  Neither does Tyrone.  Adjusting to change is never easy, and Ty can still remember the way his heart would begin to pound when he heard a cop car shortly after Billy’s death.  Even now his heart skips a beat when he hears the ringing of sirens in the streets.  He knows the way the law enforcement sees young black men.  He knows he’s shady in their eyes.  He knows the power they hold.  Every time he hears a siren he thinks of Billy, and the life that was wasted the night of the rig explosion.  He doesn’t think he’ll ever truly recover from the panic he associates with cops or police sirens, but he’s reached a point where he doesn’t let his feelings of powerlessness run his life.  Gaining powers has allowed him to take his power back and face his enemies head on.

Tandy knew about Ty’s aversion to sirens, cop cars, and the like.  She respected it.  She understood that his trauma was the root of his fears, and that was something she could empathize with.  But Ty began to discover very quickly after returning safe from the motel and coming out of the dark dimension alive, that Tandy doesn’t like sirens either.

They were walking side by side to get some groceries to restock the church when a white ambulance whirred by, its lights flashing and sirens blaring.  Tandy froze in place like she had seen a ghost.  Ty didn’t even realize it until he looked to his side and she wasn’t there.  As he walked back he noticed the fear in her eyes and understood.  Andre and his criminals had left their mark on Tandy, and she wouldn’t just jump back into the world unchanged.  Ty didn’t mind the changes, because she was still Tandy, but it hurt him to see her look so genuinely horrified at the sound of an ambulance.  Her gaze was far away, and he knew she was experiencing some sort of flashback.

And she was.  She was right back in that ambulance, in pain with no understanding as to why, disoriented and sick to her stomach.  She felt like she had to vomit, but she also couldn’t breathe.  And so she stayed in one spot, her hands shaking wildly and her chest heaving desperately.  Ty saw all of this and understood.  He’s felt this before.  So he did the best thing he knew to do.  He gently held her arm and teleported them back to the church where he got her to sit down on his mattress.  He took deep breaths with her and asked her questions about the room.  How many windows were there?  What color was the blanket?  It took a while, but she eventually began to relax, finally collapsing exhausted on the mattress.

Everything was silent except for the sounds of their breathing for a few moments.  Ty sat on the bed next to her and let himself fall flat on his back.  They stayed like that for a little.  There was no need to say anything.  They both understood what had just happened.  They both had a lot of emotions regarding it.  They both felt exhausted.  After what felt like a lifetime of silence, Ty heard a hoarse voice say, “I think I’m broken.”

“Maybe,” Ty began.  Tandy turned her head to look at him, her tear stained face resting against the mattress.  “But if you’re broken so am I.”  Ty spoke softly, as if in a dream.  “We’re both a little damaged, and we’re both a little afraid.  But that doesn’t take away our value.  True, a broken mirror isn’t very good at giving a clean reflection.  But a broken mirror is sharp, and it’s useful.  So maybe you feel broken.  Maybe you feel useless, but  _ that _ couldn’t be further from the truth.  You were changed, and this little side effect is simply a reaction of your mind and body, created specifically to protect you from experiencing what you went through ever again.”

Tandy was silent for a little, lost in thought.  Finally she said, “I don’t like this kind of change.”  Ty nodded wordlessly.  He got that.  He felt that way for years, feeling panicky and afraid when a cop would drive by or a siren would go off in a movie.  That wasn’t something that was easy to handle as a kid.  But he did.  He kept going.  And he survived.  Tandy would do the same.

“It’s painful right now, but you’re not in this alone, Tandy.  You gotta know that all of this...we do it together.  We take the good with the bad, and we celebrate the little victories.”

She bit her lip and wiped her eyes in response, trying to hold back her clearly emotional response.  “Damnit Ty, you’re gonna make me cry again,” but her tone was light and her voice was her own once more.  “How do you always know what to say?”

That made him smile.  He turned towards her and shrugged.  “It’s what I would’ve wanted to hear as a kid.  I was always too scared to show what I perceived to be weakness to my parents, and I regret it.  Things are easier when you’re not alone.”

Tandy’s face fell.  “You didn’t have anyone to help you?  With panic attacks?”

“I’m sure if I told my family they’d do something but...nah.  I thought I was broken too.”

“But you’re not broken, Ty.  You’re the most incredible person I’ve met in my life.  You and I faced similar experiences as kids and...unlike me...you turned out to be a kind, genuinely heroic person.  You’re everything I hope to be someday.”  Her words hit him like a sledgehammer to the heart, and he reached out to grasp her hands as they both laid on their sides facing each other.

“You don’t even know how incredible you are Tandy.  You brought hope to all those girls…gave them a second chance at life when you didn’t know if you’d ever get one yourself.”  She smiled gratefully in response.  Tandy found herself spending time sinking in guilt and regret for the way she used to manipulate people with her powers.  To hear that she wasn’t that person anymore, at least to one person, meant a lot.  She scooted closer to Ty and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest.  The steadiness of his heart was comforting.

Ty wrapped her in his arms, feeling in that moment as if he could take on the world if it meant protecting the outspoken, sarcastic, crazy white girl in his arms.  He chuckled to himself.  Who could have predicted his life crashing together with Tandy Bowen’s?  But he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Now, they have a common understanding about sirens.  Occasionally when a cop car will fly by or an ambulance will sound in the distance they’ll reach out and clap hands “waffle” style as Tandy would call it.  They take those moments to reflect on how far they’ve come, and everything they’ve pushed through, however insurmountable it had seemed at the time.

Are their fears normal?  No.  But then again, what  _ is  _ normal about the two of them?  All they need is each other.  That’s one thing they’ve learned from day one.  No matter what life tries to throw at them, something as huge as a loa or small as a siren, there is nothing they can’t overcome together. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! If you have any ideas for Cloak and Dagger fics you want to request feel free to let me know. Also, I would absolutely love it if you'd leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


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